Obituary: Fannie PellhamFannie Mae Pellham, 94, of Dover passed away Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville. The daughter of George “Wash” and Biddie Sipes Freeman, she was born Jan. 5, 1923, in Dover, and attended Indian Creek School. She was a production employee with Morton Foods. Fannie’s accomplishments included being a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother. She was a member of the Ple...

Obituary: Kelly ParkerKelly Louise Collins Parker, age 32, of Glenwood died Aug. 15, 2017, at her home. She was born on May 7, 1985, in Russellville, to Loyd and Margaret Collins. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Betty L. and Loyd E. Collins, and Marjorie Usery and Edward Curran. Survivors include her parents; a daughter, Kelsey Parker of Glenwood; a sister, Victoria Collins of Russellville; two brothers, Stephen Collins of St. Joe, Mo., and Gregory C...

Council OKs aquatic center itemsThe Russellville City Council voted during its September meeting to install a credit card system and implement a payment schedule for family memberships at the Russellville Aquatic Center. Jerry McKaughan, city finance director, told aldermen that the system provided by the state was available for installation. People who use their credit card at the aquatic will pay a 3 percent fee plus $1 on every transaction. Similar credit card systems are...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Zoning regulations reviewedRussellville Planning Commission members, engineers and planners met recently inside City Hall to review proposed zoning regulations in conjunction with the Downtown Master Plan update. The El Paso/Arkansas Tech University (EPU) Zoning District would include from downtown north to L Street next to the ATU campus and between Arkansas Avenue and Glenwood Avenue. The implementation strategy known as 'Experience El Paso' includes breaking the area...

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BY SEAN INGRAM
sean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

'Knot'A group of Russellville firefighters recently participated in a week-long rope training class, covering different types of rescue scenarios that could possibly be encountered throughout the river valley. Firefighters, who volunteered to take the 40-hour technician level class, began the week at the Old Post quarry with anchor and mechanical advantage (pulley) systems. The second training day took place on an outside stairwell at ConAgra Foods ...

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Courier staff reportsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Jonesboro police officer fired for personal use of fuel cardJONESBORO — A northeast Arkansas police officer has been fired for using a police department fuel card to purchase gasoline for his personal vehicle. Police say in a news release that Jonesboro police Patrolman Justin Thompson was fired Monday. Police say the card was issued to Thompson to buy fuel for the patrol car assigned to him and he also used it several times for personal purchases. Police say an investigation continues to determine the...

Arkansas officials seek immunity in Duggar privacy lawsuitFAYETTEVILLE— Arkansas officials are seeking immunity from being sued for releasing decade-old information about a sexual abuse investigation involving Josh Duggar and four of his sisters. Jill Duggar Dillard, Jessa Duggar Seewald, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Joy Duggar filed a lawsuit in May against the city of Springdale and Washington County, Arkansas, alleging officials breached their privacy by giving InTouch Weekly, a celebrity magazine, inv...

Attorney asks court to not halt execution drug label rulingLITTLE ROCK — An attorney seeking the labels and package inserts for an Arkansas execution drug is asking the state's highest court to not block an order requiring officials to release the material. Steven Shults asked the Arkansas Supreme Court Tuesday to deny the state's motion to halt a judge's order requiring the release of the labels and inserts for the state's supply of midazolam, one of three drugs used in its lethal injection process. ...

Obituary: Linda MashburnLinda J. Mashburn, age 52, of Ola died Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, at Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home. She was born Oct. 6, 1964, in Little Rock to Jim Bill and Ruby Harris-Rankin. She was a member of the Slaty Crossing Church and loved working with the youth groups. She mentored many peewee youth basketball players and was a huge high school sports fan. In her career, she had over 25 years of service with Deltic Timber Corporation. In additio...

Obituary: Ann SchaubroeckAnn Elizabeth Schaubroeck, age 54, of Russellville died Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. She was born on Dec. 23, 1962, in Fort Belvoir, Va., to Jackson Riley and Grace Elizabeth Cushing Henderson. She was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church and was well known for teaching at Caughman’s Corner Preschool. She is preceded in death by her father; and two brothers, John and Jack Henderson. Survivors includ...

Equifax dumps CEO in wake of damaging data breachNEW YORK— Credit reporting agency Equifax is ousting CEO Richard Smith in an effort to clean up the mess left by a damaging data breach that exposed highly sensitive information about 143 million Americans. The shake-up announced Tuesday comes after Equifax disclosed that hackers exploited a software flaw that the company didn't fix to heist Social Security numbers, birthdates and other personal data that provide the keys to identify theft. Sm...

As health bill teeters, Medicaid recipients watch nervouslyWith the latest Republican health care overhaul teetering near collapse, one group in particular is watching with heightened anxiety. The debate in Congress is personal for many of those who gained coverage through Medicaid in the 31 states that expanded the program under former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. Alan Purser, who lives in eastern Arkansas, credits expanded Medicaid with saving his life, after a routine doctor's visi...

A healthy careerDover native Judy Bradley has worked with the Arkansas Department of Health for three decades. She got tired of traveling and took the opportunity to settle down and work closer to home. Bradley was director at the Johnson County Health Department for five years and has been director of the Pope County Health Department the last two years. "I have always loved my job," she said. "I think being able to change different jobs within the agency ke...

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BY SEAN INGRAMsean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Council discusses drainage, floodingThe Russellville City Council discussed efforts to solve drainage and flooding problems throughout the city during its regular meeting Thursday at City Hall. City Engineer Kurt Jones said he would meet with an engineer to address the city-wide hydrology report. He said he talked to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Department of Transportation officials about flooding at O Street and Whatta-Burger. "We are working towards a meeting involvi...

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BY SEAN INGRAMsean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

GOP, White House eye deep cuts to corporate tax rateWASHINGTON -- The White House and congressional Republicans are finalizing a tax plan that would slash the corporate rate while likely reducing the levy for the wealthiest Americans, with President Donald Trump ready to roll out the policy proposal at midweek. The grand plan to rewrite the nation's tax code would be the first major overhaul in three decades, delivering on a Trump campaign pledge and providing a sorely needed legislative achiev...

Two Hector projects completedMayor John Riley told the Hector City Council at its monthly meeting on Sept. 19 that two of the city's on-going summer projects have been completed. He said the purchase of property adjoining city hall on Mulberry Street, to be used for street department storage, had been completed and the land had been added to the city's list of fixed assets. One of the stipulations of the purchase agreement was that the storage area be shielded with a priv...

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BY STEVE LEAVELL
sleavell@cswnet.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley